Happy Leap Day Everyone, Especially to All Ye Leaplings

It’s not often we get to wish one another Happy Leap Day – the only other time for this blog was in the very early days of its existence. So let’s celebrate the opportunity to catch our calendars up to the earth’s solar revolution schedule, and enjoy the irony of what this day means.

One of my favorite February 29 memories comes from my freshman year in college, walking to the buildings on “the Hill” and seeing homemade signs posted urging us to wish fellow student Sam a happy 5th birthday. No, Sam – whom I later got to know and appreciate for his good nature and good humor, not to mention his artistic and literary gifts – wasn’t some sort of amazing prodigy. He was what Wikipedia informs me is called a “leapling.” Another “leapling” is the legendary Al Gansee, who – depending on your reckoning – is either 80 or 20 today.

I’ve often wondered what it would be like to be one of the more than 200,000 Americans who three-fourths of the time have to borrow somebody else’s birthday. Well, today, all ye leaplings, enjoy this day all your own. But does anyone know what else one is supposed to do to commemorate the quadrennial arrival of February 29?